Flog Number 1 - A Windy Day Over Alpha Lake Whistler BC

It was one of those days where you don’t really plan much, you just end up moving the entire time.

We’d already put in a solid stretch walking through Whistler. Started out casual, just heading toward the village, but it turned into something closer to eight… maybe nine miles by the time we were done. No rush, no destination that mattered that much, just walking, stopping, taking things in, moving again. The kind of day where you feel it in your legs a bit, but in a good way.

By the time we got back, Nicole had to jump into some work. Laptop open, focused, back into it. That’s kind of how these trips go, it's not fully “off,” it’s more like a mix. Some downtime, some work, just shifting between the two.

So instead of sitting around, I figured I’d take that window and do something with it.

Grabbed the Avata 2 drone, headed out, and decided this would be a good time to try something different, call it a “Flog.” Not a vlog, not a blog… just a flight log. Turn it on, talk a bit, fly, and see what happens.

Right from takeoff, you could tell it wasn’t going to be one of those easy, smooth flights. The wind was there. Not crazy, but enough that I had to pay attention. Switched into manual mode, got it dialed in, and I could feel it immediately, the drone leaning, pushing, needing constant input just to stay where it should.

Still, once you’re up, it’s hard not to appreciate where you are.

Out over Alpha Lake, everything opens up. Water below, mountains wrapping around in every direction, little pockets of activity here and there—boaters, people along the shore, townhouses tucked into the landscape. It’s one of those views that doesn’t really get old, even when you’ve been walking through it all day already.

Flying higher helped with the signal, but it also made the wind more noticeable. You could actually see the drone fighting it, tilting, correcting, drifting if you let off for even a second. It turns into less of a relaxed flight and more of a conversation between you and the conditions.

Drop lower, and the wind calms down… but then you start dealing with trees, signal dips, and obstacles. So it’s this constant back-and-forth, stay high and fight the wind, or go low and deal with interference. No perfect option, just adjusting as you go.

Somewhere in the middle of all that, it hits you that this is kind of the whole point.

Earlier in the day, it was miles of walking. Now it’s flying over the same area, seeing it from a completely different angle. And in between, there’s still work getting done, videos waiting to be edited, content being captured without really forcing it.

Nicole’s inside working. I’m out here flying. Same trip, two different modes, both productive in their own way.

The battery starts to drop into the mid-range, and the wind isn’t letting up. Signal’s still decent, but I can feel it’s probably a good time to head back. No need to push it.

Bringing it in, dropping altitude, the wind eases off almost immediately. Everything smooths out again, like flipping a switch. A quick reminder of how different things can be just depending on where you are in the air.

And that’s about it.

Nothing overly dramatic. No big moment. Just a full day, walking, working, flying, stacked together in a way that makes sense when you’re actually living it.

That’s the idea behind these Flogs.

Not just the flight…
but everything around it.

DJI Avata 2 Mule Deer Back Yard

Just posted an 8-minute FPV flight with the DJI Avata 2, soaring around my backyard in the beautiful Langley area of British Columbia, Canada. The landscape is all farmland, fields, trees, houses, and that classic two-lane country road. I did some swooping low through the trees and climbing high for scenic shots. Even chased a couple trucks down that road briefly! The highlight? I flew in close to a mother mule deer and her two fawns, got an amazing view! A fun mix of high, low, and smooth backyard flying in BC!

Wifey Tries FPV with DJI NEO in Fort Langley

The Wifey and I went for a nice walk down in Fort Langley, it was a really nice day and I brought some of my FPV Drones with me to out up in the air and fly. I brought my DJI Avata 2 which is a beast of a drone, it's fast, fairly agile and the camera is amazing in it as you'll see from the video. I took the DJI Avata 2 for the first flight of the day and then kind of forced the Wifey to give FPV a try using my DJI Neo with the Motion Controller which allows anyone to fly a DJI FPV Drone in minutes.

She did pretty good and now has a good basic idea on how it all works. It can be a bit intimidating at first especially when you don't know the location so well. After her flight we walked back to the main village area and I put my tiny BetaFPV Meteor65 Pro with DJI 04 Light for a quick cruise to see what was going on. That was a short flight as smaller drones use really small batteries and have a lot shorter flight times. My camera mount on the Meteor65 Pro was missing a rubber bushing so I did get a lot more vibration than usual in the video but it still looks pretty good.

DJI Neo Versus DJI Avatar 2 is it Even Fair?

First off, DJI did not sponsor this video in any way, the bucket full of cash required to buy these items was all on me… So you are getting my real views and opinions here.

I have previously owned the HoverAir X1 which is a lot like the DJI Neo in terms of both their autonomous flight abilities. I also owned the DJI Avatar 1, but sold it a while back. So I would say I have some personal experience with these types of drones and what they are really designed to do.

As the title of this video questions, is it a fair shootout comparing the DJI Neo to the Avatar 2? Yes and no. Both can do things that the other can not do as well or even at all. The DJI Neo is super small and compact and doesn’t even require any regulations while the DJI Avata 2 is almost 4 times the weight of the Neo and because of this, regulations can become a factor in flying it.

What can they both do:

They can both fly using the DJI Goggles 3 with your choice of either a DJI Motion Controller or the DJI FPV Remote Controller. This allows for a first person flight experience in the DJI Goggles akin to flying a jet fighter.

They both have GPS which is a nice safety feature if the drone goes out of range as it will go into return to home mode and generally fly back to you. 

They both can be flown in various modes, normal, sport and manual which allows the user to fly within their given ability and be able to also unlock the full potential of each drone.

What can the DJI Avata 2 do that the DJI Neo can not?

It’s not so much a specific thing, but more that the DJI Avata 2 is just so much better at what it can do over the DJI Neo.

The camera is a huge upgrade on the DJI Avata 2 with a massive improvement in image quality, the DJI Neo is fine for recording your experiences in the moment but you will not want to use the DJI Neo for professional quality videos.

The DJI Avata 2 is just bigger and more powerful, which means it can go much faster and react to controller input much quicker allowing for more dynamic and stable video. The DJI Avata 2 is not effected by wind nearly as much and so because of this it allows you to fly it in more weather conditions.

The DJI Avata 2 Has better range not only because the specifications say so, but because it can fly faster and has a longer battery life allowing you to get out further before your battery life runs down to the point where you have to come back. This means you are able to get those shots where physically being there is not an option.

What can the DJI Neo do that the DJI Avata 2 can not?

The biggest differed between the DJI Neo and the Avata 2 is the fact that the DJI Neo can fly in an autonomous mode that uses AI and programming to perform various flight modes by simply pushing a button on the drone and having it take off in your hand. No need for a controller or even your phone. This is great for capturing life as it happens with almost no prep time involve. Just take the DJI Neo out of your pocket, pick a flight mode and press a button, the DJI Neo will either zoom out, fly in a circle around you, follow you, track you, and a bunch more cool options.

On top of that the DJI Neo does not require a physical DJI controller to fly it in manual mode, you can use the DJI Fly App and view the camera on your phones screen along with using virtual control sticks on your phone to fly the DJI Neo up to 60 meters away and 60 meter high which is a decent range using just the WiFi on your phone.

The DJI Neo only weighs around 130 grams which means it does not have to follow any drone regulation so no drone license required or other limitations standard drones have to follow.

The DJI Neo is the best way to buy into the DJI Echo System, as the cost is only $199 US or $249 Canadian for the DJI Neo Drone and included battery which is all you need to get started. The DJI Avata 2 will set you back around $1000 US or $1300 Canadian as you will need at least the Goggle and a controller to fly it.

I personally think you should get both, especially if you plan on getting the Goggles and a Controller with your DJI Neo. In that case just buy the DJI Avata 2 package that includes everything, and then pickup a DJI Neo as you will now already have the DJI Goggles and a Controller that is compatible with the DJI Neo.

• Buy the DJI Neo
• Buy the DJI Avata 2